“Be Kind To Yourself” was written on the sticker stuck on a pipe we passed walking down the mountain. I used to go hiking often with one of my best friends, but now she lives across the country many miles away from me. On those hikes we poured out our hearts to each other and God and prayed on the way down. We both needed that message “Be kind to yourself” that day, and I remind myself of that sticker frequently because all too often I’m not practicing that message. ___ “Talk to yourself like you would someone you love”- Brene Brown. Caleb reminds me often to say to myself what I would say to a best friend, or someone I’m mentoring. It’s easy to beat myself up, to tell myself I’m not good enough. But talking to myself negatively is very destructive and doesn’t bring me life, and doesn’t bring life to the people around me. I’m doing my best, and it’s hard when so many times it feels like my best isn’t good enough. It’s true that I mess up a lot, and let myself/others down at times, but I need to remember that I’m human, and Jesus already paid the price for my shortcomings, and the focus can be back on Him and the goodness of His love, His creation (people, including myself). ___ How would you feel if someone said something bad to your child? Or to the person you love the most in the world? Would that make you sad/mad? I wonder if that’s how God feels when we talk so mean to ourselves/others. ___ Think back to yourself as a little child, middle school kid, high school student. Did you ever think negative things about yourself? What do you wish you could tell that little version of you right now? And let’s start getting kind to ourselves in the moment, start getting to be more present and content with who we are in the immediate instead of realizing it much later on. ___ I know this is all easier said than done, believe me. But what if for a couple minutes right now you tell yourself this: “that you are really loved, special, cherished, one of kind, beautifully and wonderfully made, [perfectly imperfect], a masterpiece” and started thanking God for the way He made you, Did you try it? You are beautifully and wonderfully made, unique, special my friend!
